A couple of days after the Bihar government released caste survey data, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) President and Lok Sabha MP Chirag Paswan on Saturday questioned the Bihar government, asking it to make the process transparent.

Talking to the reporters here, Chirag further asked on what basis the survey was conducted.

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“Mere words can’t define caste survey, you have to make the process transparent. On what basis did the Bihar government conduct a caste survey? Nobody knows the process. Most of the residents would say that nobody asked them, they’re not even aware…” the LJP (Ram Vilas) chief said.

According to the data released by the Bihar government on October 2, Scheduled Castes make up 19.65 per cent and the Scheduled Tribes 1.68 per cent of the population of the state.

The data also said that the Hindus comprise 81.99 per cent of the population, Muslims 17.7 per cent, Christians 0.05 per cent, Sikhs 0.01 per cent, Buddhists 0.08 per cent and other religions 0.12 per cent.

The data said that Yadavs, the OBC group to which Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav belongs, is the largest and accounts for 14.27 per cent of the state’s population.

Kushwaha and Kurmi communities form 4.27 per cent and 2.87 per cent of the population, the caste survey said. Bhumihars constitute 2.86 per cent of the population, Brahmins 3.66 per cent, Kurmis 2.87 per cent, and Musahars 3 per cent.